


we sit in silence and serenity and the air around us crackles (it's a tension most comfortable)

by elizabaethhenstridge (kferreryo)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Future Fic, Less Than 5K, after-action patch-up, guest appearances by p much everyone but mostly skye and hunter, tasty cheese, wounded soldier trope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 19:30:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4233930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kferreryo/pseuds/elizabaethhenstridge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After an infiltration mission on a Hydra base, Fitz injures his leg and Jemma fixes him up. They subsequently discuss the dangers of going out into the field, the efficiency of crutches, and their favorite facial expressions of each other. Fluff and general cuteness ensue.</p>
<p>Written as a Fitzsimmons Network's More than That - Less than 5k Exchange gift for eclecticmuses, who gave the prompt "Established relationship, Fitz gets injured on a mission and Jemma has to patch him up."</p>
            </blockquote>





	we sit in silence and serenity and the air around us crackles (it's a tension most comfortable)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EclecticMuse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EclecticMuse/gifts).



> Written as a Fitzsimmons Network's More than That - Less than 5k Exchange gift for eclecticmuses, who gave the prompt "Established relationship, Fitz gets injured on a mission and Jemma has to patch him up."
> 
> I enjoyed writing this a lot, so thank you, Steph! I apologize in advance for the amounts of cheesiness in this, but hey, at least it's tasty cheese ;)
> 
> Disclaimer: I am neither a doctor nor a med student, so I can't vouch for the medical accuracy of this. Pretty much, I just used Google.

The giant monitor beeped and flashed ominously at the quiet, unmoving room, each pulse from the screen only heightening the anxiety of each person present. The handful of agents huddled in Coulson’s office at the Playground exchanged nervous glances as they waited for the next transmission from the field team, which was en route back to the base on a quinjet right now after having just finished a mission.

A sudden loud _beep_ from the monitor startled the group, and they turned their attention to the screen as they heard a _crackle_ followed by Agent May’s calm and collected voice.

“We’re about to land and have agents in need of medical attention. Please standby.”

The tension in the air eased immediately as everyone breathed a sigh of relief—the op had been successful, and no agents were down. Coulson nodded and turned to the team with a grimace. “Okay. Let’s get back to work.”

When the director turned back to the monitor to give May a response, Agents Mack, Hunter, and Simmons walked to the hangar to greet the team and collect the equipment they’d stolen during the mission. They had gotten word of a relatively small Hydra base in the desert just at the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona, so Coulson had assigned Agents May, Skye, Fitz, and Morse to infiltrate it and gather resources and intel. The Hydra agents had managed to escape during the confrontation, but the mission was a relative success, so they couldn’t complain.

As they stepped into the hangar, they heard the _thud_ of the quinjet landing on the ground; when the roar of the engines began to die down, the three agents rushed towards the lowering ramp of the jet.

The first thing Jemma saw when the ramp opened was Fitz, who limped toward her determinedly with the help of Skye, his left arm wound tightly around her shoulders. Jemma could hear him wheezing with each step he took, and she rushed to him, pulling his free arm around her and wrapping her _own_ arm around his waist. Now that she was able to get a closer look at him, she could see the various cuts and bruises that peppered his face; blood splotches lined the sides of his head and more blood flaked under his nose from it being broken during the fight—he had been surrounded by several Hydra agents and although he put up a fight (as one Hydra soldier who’d broken both arms could attest to), they’d managed to hurt his ankle and leave him with wounds all over his face.

“Hey, Jemma.” he mumbled quietly, wincing in pain as they began to walk to the hangar door.

“Ow, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” she said, scrunching her face apologetically. She opened her mouth to ask Skye about the mission when Hunter approached them, rolling a wheelchair for Fitz.

“You alright, there, mate?” he asked as he helped Fitz sit comfortably on the chair.

Fitz shrugged with a grin. “Little scrapes here and there, but I’ll be fine.”

“So what happened?” Hunter turned to Skye as the four of them made their way down the hall.

“Fitz was supposed to grab the intel and dismantle their system, but some Hydra guards were waiting for him in the control room. Five of them up against one of him, and he _still_ managed to complete the mission.” she said proudly, and Jemma turned to Fitz, eyes wide in surprise.

Skye suppressed a laugh as the group entered the lab, Hunter waving a goodbye at them to wait for Bobbi in the hallway. The lab had been renovated and refurbished a few times over the past years, and it now had an x-ray room as well as a hospital ward for sick and injured agents. As they stepped into it, Simmons called one of her fellow scientists to check on Skye, who had sustained her own fair share of bruises. Skye gave each of them a quick squeeze on the shoulder before leaving the two of them to limp to the x-ray room and look at Fitz’s leg.

“See you guys later!” she called, and the two of them grinned and waved back to her as the door to the x-ray room slid shut.

* * *

After they finished the x-ray and made sure Fitz didn't have any broken bones, Jemma led him to one of the hospital beds; Skye was perched at the edge of one, and she helped Fitz up to sit next to her as Jemma began to prepare a splint for his foot.

"You okay?" Skye asked with a small smile, nudging his elbow with hers.

"As okay as I'll ever be with a sprained ankle and _this._ " he muttered, gesturing to his bruised and bloody face. "You?"

She shrugged, flexing her hands and stretching her gauntlets. "All good. Hey, Jemma," she said, and the biochemist turned from her crouch at one of the cabinets, "you need any help over there?"

Jemma shook her head, smiling. "You should probably get some rest—it's been a long day.” She stood up and returned to the bed, ice packs and splint in her hands.

Smirking, Skye threw up her hands in submission. “O-kay, guys, I can tell you _really_ wanna have your moment now. I’ll see you tonight for dinner.” She laughed at the astonished looks on both their faces and hopped down from the bed, leaving the lab to head to her bunk.

Jemma turned back to Fitz, holding the ice pack to his cheek and instructing him to press it to his bruises. She knelt down to his injured foot and slid it into the splint, taking care not to twist it. Slowly, she hoisted it up onto the bed as he turned and adjusted himself so that he was now leaning against the pillow propped up on the headboard, legs stretched out straight in front of him.

“You should really be more careful out in the field, Fitz.” she murmured as she pressed a damp cloth to his face, cleaning it of all the dried blood. He shut his eyes, trying to focus less on the pain and more on the cool sensation of the towelette on his skin. “I don’t think I can handle seeing you like this after every mission.” she added, placing her hand on top of his and giving it a little squeeze before turning to the table to rummage through the medicines and ointments there.

“Not like I can do anything about Hydra…” he said, opening his eyes to look at her.

She gave him a little smile before gently applying some ointment to the cuts on his face. “Yeah, but… I just… I wish you had somebody out there to have your back, is all.”

“You don’t think I can handle myself out there?” he asked, a hint of genuine concern sprouting across his features.

“No, I just want to make sure, at the end of the day… you… uh…” Jemma muttered, fiddling with the ointment tube in her hands then setting it down on the table. She’d never really been good at voicing her feelings for Fitz, but she powered on, wanting, _needing_ him to know how she felt.

“I just… I… want to see you… come back to me… after every mission. Preferably not like this.” she said with a nervous laugh, gesturing to his face with trembling hands. He gently reached for her elbow, tugging at her sleeve and taking her hand in his. Smiling up at her, he pulled it up to his lips and kissed it.

“I promise. I’m not going anywhere.” He looked at her with his soft blue eyes, eyes that held so much certainty and conviction that Jemma almost pretended he could fulfill that promise. He’d try his hardest, sure, but not even Fitz—dear, sweet, courageous Fitz, with his loyalty, love, and strength of heart—could stop a bullet or a raging supervillain. 

Jemma slowly untangled her fingers from his, stretching them out to brush her fingertips over his jaw. He let out a little exhale and leaned into her hand, placing his own over hers. “Just… be safe, okay?” she said softly, absorbed in the serenity of the moment—she and Fitz had never been big fans of dramatic leap-into-each-other’s-arms proclamations; it was the quiet hushes between all the busywork that made them radiate love the most. They basked in the rare profound silences they could afford, stole quick kisses against walls behind corners, and, a long time ago (so long that they can barely even remember it now) he’d even declared his love for her in a cold pod at the bottom of the ocean.

Her train of thought was interrupted by Fitz’s flinch and sharp intake of breath as he leaned back in pain—she had accidentally brushed her fingernails over one of his cuts. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry.” she gasped as he pressed his palm to the cut. He held up his other hand to signal that he was okay. “Here, I’ll fix you up.” she said, hurriedly grabbing the bandages. 

They sat in silence for the next few minutes, him with his eyes closed and her bandaging and cleaning his face. After she finished, he sat up, letting his legs dangle off the edge of the bed; she brought the wheelchair over for him and gestured to it, expecting him to sit.

“I’ll use the crutches, thanks.” he said, which earned a _tsk_ and an eye roll from Jemma.

“Absolutely not.”

“You’re not my mum.” Fitz said grumpily, brows furrowing up at her. It made her want to giggle, but she kept it to a grin as she leaned in and placed both her hands on his shoulders.

“No, but I _am_ a doctor.” she said teasingly.

“Not a _medical_ doctor.” he reasoned, trying his best to remain serious despite his girlfriend already stifling her laughter. “Come _on_ , Jemma. I can manage with the crutches.” he whined, and her expression softened when she realized there was a hint of seriousness in his voice.

“Are you _sure_?” Jemma asked, her tone firm but not unkind. She stepped closer to him, settling in between his legs as he wound his arms around her waist.

“ _Yes_ , I’m sure. I’ll be fine.” Fitz said, smiling up at her.

Jemma recognized the expression on his face—he’d wear it while watching her work in the lab, while waking up next to her in the morning, and after missions like this—it was a sort of mix of joy, disbelief, and love; she suspected she was wearing a similar one and couldn’t bring herself to control the giant dopey grin slowly spreading across her face. Leaning in, she pressed her lips to his, tongue gliding over his bottom lip as she felt him smile against her mouth.

She pulled back after a while, but he touched her forehead with his as he hummed, “What was that for?”

Shrugging, she moved her hand to the back of his neck to run her fingers through his hair. “You had that look.”

“What look?” he asked, eyebrows knit together and his nose scrunched. 

“You know the one! The _look_ look! You have that look on your face every morning, how can you not know that you have a look?” she said adamantly, her voice squeaking in indignation.

“Probably because I can’t see it.”

“Oh, Fitz!” Jemma cried, throwing her hands up in the air and untangling herself from him.

“Wait, I was only joking, come back!” he pouted, reaching his arms out for her as she walked to one of the supply closets in the lab. Grinning, Jemma came back with a pair of crutches, and he gratefully took them and used them to get up. “There, see? I can stand just fine.” 

“All right, _fine_ , Fitz. You can use these.” she conceded, watching him fondly as he walked to the lab door on the crutches. She followed him as he started down the hallway, smile still plastered upon her face.

* * *

When they arrived at Fitz’s bunk, he changed out of his gear into his usual outfit—button-down, pants, and everything. She settled on the edge of his bed, sitting with crossed legs and watching him with adoration.

“See, you have a look too.” he pointed out, and she tilted her head to one side, furrowing her brows in pretend confusion despite the pink blossoming on her cheeks and her lips widening into a smirk.

“Could you describe it for me?” she said quietly as he sat next to her, laying the crutches on the ground.

“Well… it’s a strange expression.” he started, scratching the back of his ear, then looking down and fidgeting with his fingers. “Focused, but with a tiny hint of uncertainty. And you wear the biggest smile.” he said, a smile of his own starting to spread across his face.

“It’s beautiful. It’s the look I see every time you’re… about to kiss me.” he said, eyes still trained on his fingers. Neither of them could see it, but the look on Jemma’s face was exactly what he was describing to her—eyes gleaming, mouth grinning, and pure, blissful joy beaming up at him.

“Does it look like _this_?” she asked, gently turning his head so he could look at her—he smiled and reached for her upon seeing her expression, tucking her hair behind her ear and cupping her cheek in his hand.

Neither of them knew who kissed whom first, but both melted into the kiss, lips parting and hands relaxing against each other. They leaned closer to each other; they were so completely comfortable with the other that neither of them could fathom how they weren’t doing this since they met, but now they relished in the openness they shared with one another, taking in as much of _them_ as they possibly could. 

“Jemma?” he murmured when they parted, and she hummed in contentment but kept her eyes closed, taking in deep breaths as she softly planted kisses all over his face, taking care not to put too much pressure on his wounds.

“Yes, Fitz?” she asked, her forehead settling on his as she gave him a quick kiss on the lips again.

“I love you.”

Her hazel eyes opened to look at him and when they did, she felt like she was seeing the entire world all at once; a rush of happiness, comfort, and hope spread through her upon sight of his face, all flushed lips and shining eyes—it was awe, incredulity, and elation all rolled into one perfect expression of love. She kissed him again, letting her emotions show through it; carefully, she climbed into his lap, needing to be closer to him even more.

“I love you too, you big sap.” Jemma laughed and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. Gently, she dipped her head down, comfortably nestling it in the crook of Fitz’s neck.

They sat like this for a few minutes, her on his lap, their arms around each other, and it was only upon Skye’s knock and call to dinner that they (reluctantly) moved apart. Standing up, Jemma held out a hand and the crutches to Fitz with a smile and the resurgence of the _look_ that he so revered, his favorite Jemma expression of all.

“Shall we?”

He grasped her hand tightly and let her pull him up; together, with light nudges, adoring looks, and secret smiles that they loved and called _theirs_ , Fitzsimmons made their way back.

**Author's Note:**

> I _did_ warn you about the tasty cheese! I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless :D
> 
> Thanks for reading! Feedback is always appreciated :)


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